If you’ve ever bounced off a soulslike because it felt punishing, vague, or overly cryptic, Sands of Aura has a different kind of challenge in mind.

Launching today on Xbox Series X|S, Sands of Aura is a dark fantasy action RPG built around fast, reactive combat, meaningful exploration, and a world shaped by loss. Players will find themselves in a realm where the ocean is gone, and a vast sandsea stretches between the last remaining islands. It draws inspiration from CRPG’s while placing story, characters, and buildcrafting more directly at the center of the experience.

And for the console launch, the team has taken the opportunity to refine the experience with new systems designed specifically around how Xbox players explore, fight, and experiment with builds.

A Soulslike That’s About More Than Punishment

“Soulslike” has come to mean many things to players. For some players, it’s shorthand for punishing difficulty, gritty worlds, and the ever-present “git gud” mentality.

But when I spoke with the team behind Sands of Aura, they described a different foundation: classic CRPG design, meaningful quests, and progression that rewards genuine engagement.

“We grew up on CRPGs filled with rich, meaningful quests and character exploration that reward genuine engagement,” says John Sadler, programmer at Chashu Entertainment. “Games where progress demanded real effort and skill.”

That philosophy is reflected throughout Sands of Aura. The developers wanted players to know the characters, understand the world, and feel that the story is present and not hidden behind vague lore fragments.

They also leaned heavily into buildcrafting and experimentation.

“We wanted to give players enormous flexibility to create wildly different, deeply customizable builds that synergize in unexpected and sometimes absurdly powerful ways,” Sadler says. “We weren’t afraid to let you break the game in fun, creative directions.”

That flexibility is a major part of what makes the game feel personal. You’re not just surviving the world, you’re shaping how you survive it.

Fast, Reactive Combat with Room to Experiment

In the opening hour, Sands of Aura is designed to teach its combat rhythm quickly: a fast, reactive loop built around attacking, dodging, blocking, parrying, and weaving in spellblade abilities to create openings and capitalize on them.

As you gain confidence in those fundamentals, the game begins to surface the depth of its equipment systems. Weapons, armor, and talismans aren’t just stat changes; they meaningfully alter how you approach fights and what kind of fighter you become.

“The goal is for players to feel the tempo of combat early, while realizing there are hundreds of viable builds and playstyles waiting to be explored,” Sadler says.

New Targeting Assist Built for Controller Flow

One of the most meaningful improvements for Xbox players is a new targeting assist system designed around a simple goal: interpret intent rather than demand perfect precision.

“In fast-paced combat, we found that players often missed attacks while rapidly switching targets and activating abilities,” Sadler says. “This new system uses the player’s general aiming direction to intelligently guide actions toward the most appropriate target within that space.”

The result is faster, more reliable skill execution that keeps combat fluid and responsive without removing player control.

It’s the kind of improvement you might not consciously notice at first. But once you’re deep into a fight, it’s the difference between feeling like you’re wrestling the controls and feeling like you’re fully in the flow.

A Sandsea World Designed for Scale and Discovery

Exploration in Sands of Aura is split between two distinct spaces: the islands, where the main story and action unfold, and the sandsea, which gives you room to breathe, reflect, and chart your own course.

Instead of using a traditional overworld map where you simply select the next location, the team wanted travel itself to create a sense of distance and scale.

“We could have gone with a traditional overworld map for choosing the next island,” Sadler says. “Instead, we prioritized making the world feel vast, deep, and full of real distance.”

Sailing across the sandsea builds that sense of scale and creates opportunities for hidden discoveries. Remote islands and secrets are easier to conceal when the world is something you physically cross rather than simply click through. Instead of acting as a transition between destinations, the sandsea becomes part of the adventure itself, opening the world up to players who explore thoughtfully and pay attention to what’s on the horizon.

A Compass UI That Supports Exploration Without a Minimap

The console version also adds another major quality-of-life improvement: a compass UI on islands.

Because Sands of Aura uses an elevated, three-quarter perspective, spatial awareness and distant landmarks can sometimes be harder to read at a glance.

“The compass helps players maintain orientation as they move through dense or unfamiliar spaces without relying on a full minimap,” Sadler says. “Our goal was to encourage thorough exploration of each island while reducing the friction of feeling lost or disoriented.”

The goal isn’t to remove the feeling of discovery. It’s to help players stay focused on what matters: uncovering secrets, finding new routes, and staying ready for whatever is waiting around the next corner.

Balance Updates That Make Builds More Fun to Commit To

Finally, the console version includes a wide set of balance changes aimed at one of the most important parts of the game: build experimentation.

The developers made changes to reduce friction between committing to a build and allowing you to experiment with different weapons, armor, and talismans. Enemies and bosses were also tuned to support that experimentation, with adjusted health pools and damage output.

“We’ve made a lot of changes to reduce friction between committing to a build and allowing players to experiment,” Sadler says. “There should now be a bit more back-and-forth play, like a dance between boss and player.”

That shift also helps reduce the feeling that a single mistake ends the fight instantly.

“No more feeling of ‘one wrong move and you’re dead,’” Sadler says. “We wanted the game to feel fun and challenging, not frustrating and grindy.”

Where to Begin Your Journey

If you’re looking for a dark fantasy action RPG that blends soulslike-inspired combat with story-driven exploration and deep buildcrafting, Sands of Aura offers a unique journey, now refined for Xbox players with console-focused improvements.

Sands of Aura launches today on Xbox Series X|S.

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A ruinous cataclysm unleashed by a tormented god descended the world of Talamhel into perpetual night. The hourglass of time was shattered and its essence poured across the land, creating an endless sea of sand. The once-flourishing world of Talamhel became a putrid lesion of its former glory and those who called it home are now husks of corruption–violent, undying, unyielding soldiers of death.

But Talamhel is not lost–not yet. For generations, the righteous few have endured. You are one of those few. On the eve of your induction into the Order of Remnant Knights, the last protectors of man, Talamhel is once-again wracked by calamity. The corruptive nature of the Night Plague has mutated, and the realm of man needs the Remnant Knights more than ever.

Track down the emergent evil and destroy it. Protect the realm of man.

From the helm of your nimble grainwake, carve across the perilous sandseas to confront the source of this newfound terror, but don’t expect a guiding light or a red X on a map. You’ll chart your own course forward–behold the open seas, and choose the heading you best see fit.

But familiarity is a far-flung concept aboard the grainwake–the shifting sands are always changing, revealing secrets, dangers, and paths unseen. Things are not as they seem…

-Talamhel is an open world, free to explore and discover as you please.
-Every island is a unique, colorful encounter of combat, lore, and plunder.
-With tiered levels of difficulty, locations offer challenges that will reward those who overcome.
-With a trusted (undead) companion rested in the crow’s nest, you’ll never sail the seas alone.

The corruption that plagues Talamhel has created a horde comprised of both man and other Talamhelic natives: The venerable Ferrum and the insectoid, hive-minded Hashara. Once warring nations have become an abominable army of undying malice.

From doomsday cultists to fallen kings, the foes that guard the answers you seek are determined to see your end. Prepare for an unrelenting, unforgiving combat experience not to be taken lightly. Swing true, dear knight, swing true.

With hundreds of weapon components to be reclaimed from the crumbled remains of civilization, there are thousands of unique weapons to be forged. Find the hilt that fits just right.

-Cleave through the corruption with 7 distinct fighting styles.
-Bolster yourself with dozens of armor sets, each with their own unique defenses.
-Combine and modify your devastation with magical augments, creating a personalized build.